Biography

William Earl Johns was born in Hertford in 1893 and worked as a surveyor before joining the Army just prior to the First World War. In 1917 he learnt to fly and became a bomber pilot, only to be shot down over Germany in 1918. Although believed killed in action, he spent some time in a prisoner of war camp before escaping and returning to his somewhat surprised family on Christmas Day 1918. During the next decade or so Johns continued with his RAF career, and built a career as an aviation illustrator upon his discharge. Jame Bigglesworth first appeared in a short story and in book form in The Camels are Coming in 1932. In all Johns wrote around 160 books, a few of which were published posthumously. The majority featured Biggles, but the 1940s saw the appearance of eleven Worrals books, created at the request of the War Office to boost recruitment to the recently formed WAAF. There were also series featuring Gimlet and Steeley, some factual titles, a number of adult works and ten science fiction stories.

The books were considered ‘too British’ to sell well in America and Johns has been criticised in recent decades for being jingoistic, racist and sexist. I feel that the books reflect the times in which they were written, and that many were written during war-time, boosting morale and the war effort, and that should always be borne in mind. Some of Johns’ writing shows a more thoughtful almost pacifist side. He writes of his own WW1 experiences: "I galloped down the drive to what, in my youthful folly, I supposed was going to be death or glory. I had yet to learn that in war there is plenty of death but little glory; that in war only death is real; that glory is simply gilt and tinsel to wrap around the other so that it looks less like what it really is".

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Books

To search or browse her books in our WE Johns catalogue, at the Advanced Book Exchange, use the search boxes below.

   

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Links

Roger Harris has compiled the very detailed W E Johns website and there is also the International Biggles Association.

If you know of any interesting links, please let us know.